The Director of the Small Firms Association (SFA), Patricia Callan, today held a meeting with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Richard Bruton.
The SFA have called on the Government to demonstrate its support for small businesses by stopping the "discrimination" between self-employed/proprietary directors and PAYE workers across the tax and social welfare systems.
They have also requested that the Government develop specific policy proposals around second-chance entrepreneurship, where a small business owner has previously failed.
Callan referenced a 2013 GEM Report which showed that fear of failure among the Irish entrepreneurial adult population has risen from 35% in 2006 to 45% in 2013. Fear of failure in Ireland deters individuals from starting a new business, and is more prevalent among women (49%) than it is among men (42%).
Callan said, "The small business sector currently employs half the private sector workforce, some 700,000 people. Irish labour costs are 11th highest in Europe and 21% above the EU average. Total business costs are 25% lower in the UK than in Ireland.
This is putting us at a distinct competitive disadvantage. Government changes over the past number of years in PRSI, illness benefit, redundancy rebate, health insurance and general taxation have all impacted negatively.
No further costs can be imposed through Budget 2016. We remain opposed to any increase in the statutory minimum wage and mandatory pension or sick pay provision, which would have a devastating impact on the still fragile recovery that is taking place in small firm employment."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
